I’m Not Him
by The Other Saiyan
Summary: After years of abuse at the hands of Adam Taurus, Blake struggles to properly handle the emotional devastation it caused her. The Fall of Beacon only made the desperation worse. Though she’d escaped with her life, she was unsure it was a blessing, but a friend is waiting to help her lift herself back up.
1. One

Chapter One

"Hello, my darling."

The voice sent a jolt of terror through Blake's chest at the sound of the emotionless phrase that always brought her back to hell. He couldn't be here. There was no way he found her already.

She couldn't see, even with her Faunus traits, as if she was being blindfolded. Her panic spiked, causing her to whimper and attempt to move away, only to find herself paralyzed. As the blinder was removed, her vision was occupied by Adam's face, red aura pulsing as if he was preparing to unleash his semblance. The blade still invaded her midsection, causing paralyzing pain and fear to flood her mind.

"I will make it my mission to destroy everything you love."

A muffled scream bubbled up in her chest, being sucked back into reality as the dream ended. Sun was shaking her lightly, attempting to wake her up. Her body was drenched in sweat and her heart pounded in her chest. Slowly, she sat up in bed while Sun remained standing.

Sun looked at her apologetically. "My bad, seemed like it was a hell of a nightmare."

Blake took a deep breath, looking over to smile at Sun. They'd only been on this ship together for a day and she really was trying to make the best of it. "That's okay," Blake said softly. "You just got here?"

He shrugged. "I got caught up in watching the stars. Besides, I didn't expect you to offer to share your cabin with the stowaway."

"The captain was willing to give you a room if there was an empty one to show his gratitude. You're lucky he didn't throw you overboard once he realized you didn't pay on a fully booked ship," she said, glaring at him.

"Boat woulda sunk if I hadn't showed up," Sun said, dusting his shoulder cockily.

"Yeah, sure, Sun," Blake said, smiling at him.

Silence fell between the two Faunus. Sun looked to Blake, noticing how her body trembled and her breathing was erratic. "Hey, you okay?" he asked quietly, reaching over to touch her shoulder gently.

Blake jumped at the touch, smacking his hand away lightly. "I'm fine."

"It must have been some dream, huh? Wanna talk about it?"

She cringed, wishing he would have just let it go. "No, I don't."

Sun sighed, sitting down beside the mattress. "Come on, Blake."

"Sun." Her voice was raspy, like she was struggling to speak, and her gaze avoided her companion's. "Please, don't push this." It wasn't a request, but a command.

Guilt hit Sun's conscience like a rolling boarbatusk. She sounded so hurt and her feline ears folded over in response to the clear discomfort weighing on her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—"

"It's fine," she said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively. "If you don't mind, I'd like to be alone for a while."

Sun coiled back, standing to leave the cabin. "Yeah, sure."

The moment the door closed behind him, Sun heard a heavy sob from the other side. It was obvious she'd been fighting the emotion even before he left. He wanted to go in and find out what was going on, hold her until she had no tears left, but he knew that she would never allow that kind of vulnerability.

From the bed, Blake's breathing heaved as she fought back the memories torturing her mind. That slicing blue eye, the red hot aura of intimidation, the terror. Even before the Fall of Beacon, Blake was no stranger to Adam's abuse. In their partnership through the White Fang, and their romantic partnership, he was a controlling authoritarian. Emotional abuse was slung at her daily, had stooped to physical abuse dozens of times, and even touched into sexual on a number of occasions.

The injury and trauma she sustained at the Fall only worked to agitate the aftermath of the years of abuse she suffered. To think that she brought Yang, her best friend, into that hell. It killed her inside. She couldn't keep putting Yang at risk by staying and, frankly, she just wanted to see her family and to go back to a time before her innocence was so irreparably shattered.

All of this was her fault.

She was too much of a coward to stand up for herself. If she were stronger, she could have protected Yang.

And now Sun had followed her. The last thing she wanted was for someone else to get hurt because of her. How was she supposed to protect them if they didn't allow her to?

It was unclear how long she sat there, sobbing into her arms, unable to contain her emotion, but it felt like hours.

By the time she left the cabin, Sun was standing by the side of the boat, talking with a small group of women. He confidently assured them that Grimm that large didn't interact with ships often, trying to ease their worry. From Blake's perspective, it was easy to see that the girls were flirting with the gifted young Huntsman, but he seemed entirely unaware. A chuckle came from Blake as she rolled her eyes and walked closer to where Sun was standing. The girls seemed to dissipate almost immediately upon her arrival, like they wanted no association with her at all.

Good, keep away so I can't get you hurt too. Blake cringed at the thought and took several deep breaths to right her state of mind once more.

"Feeling better?" Sun asked, leaning against the rail of the ship while they stared out at the ocean that passed by.

"I told you, I'm fine. It was just a nightmare. I'm sure you've had them as well," she said, hoping to deflect the question, and the conversation, entirely.

"I can't remember a single time that a dream put me in that state. I know you better than that."

"You don't," Blake snapped back, annoyed once more. The guy really knew how to pry. She hadn't meant to lash out at him, but her nerves were still frayed.

Sun glared at her suspiciously. "What is it? After everything we've gone through, everything you've already told me, what could be so awful that you won't clue me in?"

"It isn't important, Sun." Her fists clenched as she grew increasingly angrier. "I didn't ask you to follow me here."

"I was worried about you! If you knew I was tailing you, you would have run off again."

Blake flinched at the implication. The dark voice constantly in the back of her mind echoed louder, "Running away again?" It was almost like the activist was breathing right down her neck, whispering with his lips against her ear. She fought to act normally while her body remained on high alert.

Sun wasn't ignorant to her internal turmoil. He didn't know what was bothering her, but he could see in her eyes that it was tearing her apart inside. "I only wanted to help you."

"I don't need help!" Blake bit back, glaring at him. She felt the tickle of tears welling in her eyes and her bottom lip quivered. It should have bothered her to be retaining eye contact while she was so visibly vulnerable, but her actions were out of her control. "I just wanted to be alone."

A heavy sigh left Sun's chest as he felt his good nature coming back to bite him. Avoiding eye contact, he turned to go lay down for a bit. He knew how to take a hint.

Several hours went by before Blake left the deck. She owed Sun an apology, but she'd needed the time to restabilize herself. Opening the door, Blake noticed Sun sleeping shirtless diagonally on the bed, limbs sprawled about haphazardly. His mouth was hanging wide open and the tip of his tail was twitching periodically between breathy snores. The sight made Blake smile. After all, he was safe and sleeping soundly.

Though she'd never admitted it, the cat Faunus had strong feelings for Sun. It wasn't a secret that they'd been drawn to each other from the moment they met and her feelings had become far greater than friendly. That scared her. She couldn't imagine being in a relationship with him and remaining happy. Her only other relationship had been so toxic that she wasn't even sure if she could participate in a healthy romantic relationship. Even if she was able to, she knew that Adam would always be watching and it would put a huge target on Sun's back. It wasn't worth that risk. That was the reason she left him in Vale in th I'm e first place. Now, if she was found, she wouldn't be his only victim.

Walking quietly into the room, she reached into her tiny bag, removing a book from its confines. The soft clanking stirred Sun from his slumber, causing him to sit up quickly, turning his attention to Blake.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she assured.

"It's fine, I shouldn't spend the whole day sleeping. I'll get rusty. I can watch out for Grimm on deck for a while."

"You can stay, if you'd like. I'm sure we'll know if one of those things come by again. I'll only be reading, I won't disturb you."

"I'm more worried about bothering you, to be honest," Sun admitted, smiling awkwardly at his counterpart.

Blake's ears folded down again in discomfort. "It's no bother."

"Forgive me for not believing that," Sun said, grabbing his button up from the head of the bed. "You've been a bit abrasive since you found me."

"I really didn't mean to be. I apologize," she said, avoiding meeting his gaze. "I know you don't mean any harm."

"Then tell me why you've been like this."

"I—" Blake paused, clenching her fists. "I really don't want to talk about it."

"That's better than 'I'm fine'," Sun said, moving over to make room for her on the bed.

She took the hint, sitting down beside him. They spent a few long moments in silence. Blake wrestled with her thoughts relentlessly. Everything that had happened left her so raw. Yang was the only one she'd ever told about everything Adam had done. The shame of her actions, and the consequences, was so crippling that she never allowed herself to open up. She didn't want him to see her differently, but she wanted so badly to be open with him.

"I'm still afraid," Blake said, her voice barely above a whisper. Her hand dropped to the newly healed wound on her stomach as pain ripped through the area again.

"Of what, Blake?"

Her chest tightened and she lost her breath as she tried to think of how to answer his question, as if oxygen had suddenly become toxic. "I—"

"You're shaking," Sun said, reaching over to grab a hold of her hand, only to be swatted away defensively once again.

"Please, don't touch me right now," Blake requested, keeping her gaze down.

Sun took the mental note before trying to talk with her again. "What are you afraid of?"

She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to clam up again. "I told you about the guy who started the precedent in the White Fang of wearing masks, right?"

"Yeah, dark guy."

Blake took a heavy sigh and the shaking in her hands only seemed to become more severe. "Adam used to be my partner. We worked together in the White Fang for several years, and we also had a personal relationship. My entire life was built upon standing beside him. The White Fang brought us together, but I became so infatuated with him that I didn't see what he was doing."

Sun sat, listening attentively. Blake had never opened up quite like this, at least not about her personal life.

"He would tell me every day about how worthless my parents were because they left the cause and how it would be a shame if I were to leave him too. He slowly wore me down, planting bombs in my self esteem and conditioning me."

"I thought that was the worst it would get. Once he became the High Leader, everything would go back to normal. He would be loving and sweet again and bring equality for our people. I was wrong."

"About two years before I left, he started to hit me as a means of discipline. He told me that my job wasn't to talk, it was to fight for his cause. There were at least two occasions that warranted medical intervention after I made him angry. I didn't stand up for myself because I knew I had let myself be put in that situation."

"I left because he started to bring his new temper into…" Blake paused, a heavy blush falling over her cheeks. "More intimate activities and I knew I had to get out. I was so done with senseless violence."

Sun's eyes grew wide as he realized what Blake was actually saying. "He… you're saying he…?" Sun couldn't even get it out.

"He took advantage of my trust. He's a bit older than us, so he always had the edge on me when it came to size, strength, and power. I was young and stupid."

His heart hurt for Blake. Sun didn't realize what that bastard had put her through.

"When I saw him at the Fall of Beacon, I didn't even know what to do. I nearly froze up completely. Having him be the one to cut both Yang and I down was devastating. I can't go a single moment without thinking about it."

"I'm sorry, Blake, I didn't know."

"I didn't want you to know. I don't really want anyone to know."

"But, that isn't your fault, Blake."

Blake rolled her eyes. "It is. I sat by and allowed it to happen. I didn't establish my boundaries."

"That doesn't give him the right to hurt you."

"I didn't give him a reason not to."

"Blake," Sun said, his tone forcing her gaze to meet his. Behind his eyes wasn't the normal happiness and brightness, but sadness and pain. "You shouldn't have to give him a reason not to do something like that."

Tears welled in her eyes as her gaze met Sun's. Behind those blue orbs of his was concern, compassion, but worst of all, pity. That realization made her immediately break the visual contact, making her more angry with herself than ever. "After everything I've done, it's the least of the punishments I could have been given."

"Don't say that," Sun said, his voice stern instead of his usual happy tone. "You didn't deserve to be treated like that, no matter what you did."

"I've killed people, Sun, and assisted in it too. I stopped counting just how many have become victims of mine. He didn't kill me," Blake insisted, glaring at the boy.

"What he did was worse. I couldn't imagine being betrayed like that, even in my worst nightmares. For him to have done that, he had to be really messed up in the head. No one deserves that."

"You don't know that, Sun. You're naive."

"No, you just have gone through hell and to think that you believe it's okay for a man to take advantage of you makes me wish I'd crossed paths with him at Beacon."

"You don't mean that."

"Have I lied to you before?" he asked, his tone softening and lifting.

Blake's eyes darted back up to Sun's face. Though he still looked sympathetic, it looked far more genuine than before. Sure, he was always a nice, truthful guy, but the way he was looking at her made her feel something she hadn't felt under a man's gaze in a long time: respected.

"Why?" she asked, her voice quiet and broken.

Sun was visibly confused by the question. "Why what?"

Emotions crawled up Blake's throat, causing her to suppress a sob, though it wasn't all that successful. "Why don't you see how pathetic I am? I'm used and deserve to feel guilty, but you act like you don't see it? Are you that blind?"

"I don't see it. I see you, Blake. You're my friend and I don't want you to feel this way. You shouldn't feel guilty and you definitely shouldn't see yourself as 'used'. You're incredible, and it isn't your fault that he abused you like he did," Sun said, speaking sternly and with a sharp accent, obviously growing more angry with the way she'd been treated.

"Don't say that, Sun."

"I will say that. You're amazing, everything I'd ever hope to…." He stopped, biting his tongue.

Blake's eyes widened as he looked away, a soft blush exploding over his cheeks. There was no way. Why her?

"Sun, what are you saying?" she asked, her voice soft and breathy. Though Blake was fairly sure what he was saying, she needed to hear him say it, because she couldn't believe it. After everything she'd been through, why would he possibly have any kind of attraction to her?

Sun took a deep breath, followed by a heavy sigh. "This isn't a good time to talk about this."

"What?"

"I refuse to take advantage of you too, Blake."

She felt the heat rise to her cheeks rapidly. He really liked her, or was at least attracted to her. This was a dream come true for any girl.

"I'm sorry," Sun said, looking over to smile at her sympathetically. "I didn't mean to get so worked up."

"It happens to the best of us."

The sun had set, so the cabin grew dark as the pair of Faunus sat in silence on the bed.


	2. Two

Hello! Sorry, this one's gonna be a short one. I didn't expect people to like it, to be honest.

Either way, happy reading! I hope you enjoy!!

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After Blake's twelve hour disappearance from Beacon, the one person she really wanted to apologize to was Yang. She knew that Yang had been abandoned before and it had a serious effect on the bombshell. Before seeing Yang, Blake had already decided that she wanted to tell Yang what had happened to her in her past, but she was afraid of what Yang would say.

Would she blame the Faunus girl for the hell that she'd lives? Would she be disgusted with Blake's submissive response to such a breach of her boundaries?

Blake asked Yang to meet her in the dorm room while Ruby and Weiss were off training for the tournament, giving her no real details until they were in the room, alone, with the door locked.

The blonde was seated on the bed, watching as Blake locked the door with shaking hands. She'd never seen Blake so flustered, even when they discovered that she had been a member of the White Fang for years. It was really concerning.

"Blake, what's wrong?" Yang asked, standing to close the distance between the two.

Blake refused to make eye contact, looking down at the floor as she made her way over to the bed. Though she was wearing her bow, it was easy to see her feline ears fold and pull back, giving away her distress. "Come sit down with me, I just want to talk to you," Blake said, the words breathy on her lips as she sat down on the bottom bunk bed.

Yang clenched her teeth as her temper flared, but she bit her tongue, sitting so she was facing Blake.

"You're my friend, right?" Blake asked, her voice shaking, mirroring her trembling hands.

Taken aback by the question, Yang left out an involuntary chuckle as her temper was extinguished. "Of course I'm your friend, Blake. Is that what this was all about?"

"No, I just had to make sure," Blake said, swallowing audibly. "So, I can talk to you about anything, right?"

"Yes, you can talk to me. Please, tell me what's going on," Yang said, her anxiety sparking her nerves again.

"I've never told anyone about this, and I think that's the problem. I haven't been able to open up about it, I was afraid to. But, you're my friend, so I want to tell you. When I was a member of the White Fang, I had a relationship with my working partner, Adam. We had a…" Blake paused, cringing slightly. "We had a physical relationship and at times, he was really pushy, but I cared about him so much that I…"

Yang clenched her teeth again, losing all her happy glow. "He raped you?"

Blake's eyes widened, meeting Yang's eyes for the first time. Those which were normally a light lavender were now piercing crimson. "I wouldn't say that…"

"Blake," Yang said, narrowing her eyes. "He forced himself on you, right?"

Inside of Blake, a million thoughts were running through Blake's mind. Was that what happened? There were times he would ignore her upset at his actions, but she's never admitted to herself that what was happening was rape. Countless times they returned from a mission and he was angry and beat her for any little thing she did wrong, using sex as a means of punishment. Most of what she felt was pain, very little pleasure.

"Blake?" Yang repeated, staring at the tears dropping from Blake's eyes.

The Faunus remained completely still for a moment longer before she spoke. "Y—yes." The word came with all the emotions she'd been fighting to hold back. She told Yang everything, from the beatings, the abuse, to the disgust she felt for herself for having allowed such a thing to continue.

Yang's eyes remained red as Blake spoke, but her hand softly reached out and took Blake's hand, lightly rubbing her thumb over her friend's hand comfortingly.

"I never could admit what it was that happened, just that I was so afraid of him. I know he's not all that strong, but I am so petrified of what else he could do to me." Blake began to sob, so Yang quickly reached out to hug her tightly.

"You don't have to be afraid of him anymore. No matter what, I'll never let him touch you again," Yang growled, working to get the anger she felt under control.

She couldn't help but want to find this Adam asshole and beat him within an inch of his life. How dare he do such a thing to Blake? What gave him the right?

"So," Blake said softly. "You aren't mad at me?"

Yang pulled back to look at Blake, her eyes falling back to lavender. "No, I'm happy you told me."

From that day on, the two girls were closer than any friendship Blake had ever made. Blake told her almost everything.

And that's why the Fall of Beacon was so difficult for Blake to handle. All of her fears came to get her all at once. Yang was dismembered, unconscious, defeated, and all Blake had done was run away. When she woke up, Yang would be so angry. She would beat herself up for losing to Adam, but she would be too concerned with Blake's condition to deal with her own problems.

So she left.

Every day she wondered if she made the right call, but she just wanted to protect Yang from Adam, and herself. Being near her best friend would only cause her to be put in more danger. Besides, she needed to see her family. There was too much that needed to be corrected to avoid Kuo Kuana any longer.

And now Sun was here. How was she going to focus on what she had to do?

However, she was really happy he showed up. She just… wasn't sure how to express it.

Blake woke that morning, leaning over the side of the bed to see Sun sleeping on the floor beside the basic bed. There wasn't much room, giving Sun barely enough room to lie there comfortably. It made her feel guilty, but Sun had insisted that it wasn't a problem. The soft nasal snore humming through the air told that he was perfectly satisfied with his sleeping arrangement. A small smile raised her lips as she crawled over the other side of the bed to go outside to get some fresh air.

Since her days in the Fang, she was stuck in a routine of rising before the sun, no matter how little sleep she'd gotten. It had been like this for nearly a week. She and Sun were just going through the motions until they reached their destination. Hopefully Kuo Kuana, home, would bring her just a little bit of closure.


	3. Three

Chapter Three

Dawn broke over the horizon almost an hour after she came to stand by the side, watching as time passed. More people started to come above deck, going about their day when the captain joined her by the rail.

"We should be arriving sometime this evening. I appreciate you helping us out back off the coast of Vale and I'm sure everyone else is thankful as well," he said, smiling at Blake fondly.

"It was no problem, sir. We were only doing our job. Thank you for allowing my…" Blake stumbled over her words for a moment. "Colleague to stay on board. I apologize for him coming aboard illegally."

"If all of the stowaways could fight like that, they'd all get a free ride. There aren't enough Huntsmen manning the seas for voyages like ours."

"You're right. I'm sorry that we will be staying in Menagerie for the time being, so you'll have to manage without us."

"We'll do fine. As I said, shortly before dinner, we'll be making landfall. I wanted to properly thank the two of you before we parted ways, but it seems the boy is still in bed. Please, pass along my appreciation to him if I don't have the time," he requested, stepping away from the rail.

"I will."

Though it was a small appreciation, Blake felt a small confidence boost with the interaction. At least she could make that small contribution to the people on the ship. Maybe life on the sea was more her style.

Heavy footsteps came from behind Blake, causing her to jump slightly as she turned, only to be confronted by her blonde companion. Her heart settled in her chest as her paranoia subsided. "You just missed the captain," she said, turning back to the sunrise.

"What did he need?" Sun asked, leaning his back against the rail and propping his right foot up behind him on the railing.

"Oh, he was only thanking us and letting me know we'd be arriving later tonight," she explained, side eyeing the casual posture he fancied.

"Tonight? Man, this trip wasn't as long as you said it would be."

"Time flies when you're having fun, so I'd assume that your view of time is a bit askew."

"And you'd probably be right. It's hard not to have fun when you're the life of the party," he said, winking at her.

The urge to chuckle took over her as a small laugh rumbled from the feline Faunus. "At least you're confident." She couldn't help feel at ease in Sun's presence. It was a lot like how she used to feel about Adam.

Blake shook her head, trying to shake away the thoughts overwhelming her mind. She wanted to get away and not think about him, but it was obvious that wasn't going to happen. Her hands squeezed the railing as her jaw clenched tightly.

"Blake?" Sun asked softly. Moments before, he watched the comfort fade from her eyes only to be replaced with an icy thousand-mile stare into the ocean. It killed him to know that there was very little—if anything—he could do to help Blake deal with her struggles. If all he could do was be there to listen, then he'd do it until Remnant's end if he could. However, he also knew that Blake wasn't ready to deal with some of her feelings and the last thing he wanted was to push her.

Her golden eyes continued to stare out into the waves as her body relaxed slightly. It was like she wasn't even there, like her mind was a million miles away, leaving an empty shell of who she was behind. She heard Sun, but her body almost wouldn't allow her to answer. It was like that red blade rested against her throat, stealing her breath and tearing her apart.

Sun sighed, reaching over to cover one of Blake's hands with his. Immediately, her gaze locked with his and her body jumped, like he'd frightened her. "I'm sorry, you were acting weird. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

After a few heavy breaths, she spoke. "Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go get our things packed." Her voice was flat, as if she were still on autopilot.

Several hours later, the ship made landfall. The two Faunus bid farewell to the crew and made their way into Kuo Kuana. Sun was awestruck by how beautiful this island was. Not only was he on a piece of land only populated by Faunus, but everything about Menagerie drew him in.

That is, until he met the beast that was Blake's father. He could barely get a single word out without clumsily tripping himself with inappropriate remarks and his own fear of making a fool of himself in front of Blake. Of course, he'd already done that.

Most of his time the first day was spent just walking about absentmindedly as Blake reconnected with her parents. The last thing he wanted to do was infringe on their family moment. It was just nice to see Blake relax and become comfortable.

Then, Corsac and Fennec had to show their ugly fox heads. It had completely destroyed the progress Blake had made in keeping herself calm. Sun just wanted to bash their heads together.

The night came quickly and everyone made their way to bed. Kali had been kind enough to have their housekeeping staff set up a room for him a few feet from Blake's. That didn't seem like it was going to be a problem, so Sun crawled under the blankets, falling asleep almost instantly.

A little over an hour later, he was woken by a loud shriek. He didn't miss a beat, jumping out of bed and sprinting down the hall toward the noise. Blake's bedroom door was open, two security guards standing in the doorway. Blake was still in bed, but was sitting up, sweating and shaking with her hands pressed against her face.

"Miss, are you hurt? What's going on?" one of the guards asked quickly, searching for the threat.

She looked over to the guard, wiping the tears from her face as she spoke, barely able to keep her voice from cracking. "No, I just had a nightmare. I'm sorry to have bothered you. Please, continue whatever it is I interrupted." As she met eyes with the man, she noticed Sun standing behind him, shirtless and in nothing but boxer shorts. "Sun?" she said, losing the battle of keeping her voice level.

"Hey, I heard you scream. I was worried," he said, stepping into the room as the guards returned to their duties.

"I'm sorry I woke you up," she said as he stepped closer to her.

"No, don't be sorry. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, sitting on the edge of her bed—one far too large for one person.

Blake shook her head gently. "I'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I like to believe I'm a good listener."

The chuckle that came from her was music to Sun's ears. "You like to believe you're good at everything," she said.

"Have I been wrong?"

The feline Faunus glared at him, but didn't answer him.

"You see my point," he said, kicking his feet out in front of him. "I'm here, if you want to spill it."

Blake swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "I have nightmares about Adam a lot." Sun watched as she fiddled with the cloth of the blanket between her fingers, refusing to meet his gaze. "I know it's stupid, but they still really get to me sometimes."

"It isn't stupid," Sun said, noticing that she'd turned to him in surprise. "Really, I completely get it. He's still out there and I'd be scared of the creep too."

Blake returned to watching her fingers dance over the sheet. "Most of the time, it's like flashbacks, like memories that just decide they want to play a sick game of peek-a-boo. I'll forget all about it for a moment, but I will always lose sleep over it."

"I'm sorry, must be hard," Sun agreed, watching Blake closely, but ensuring that he didn't scare her into going silent. It was really nice to have her talking to him without him having to press her for it.

"I just wish I could forget it ever happened," Blake said, wiping her cheeks with the ball of her hand. "I hate having this shadow lurking behind me all the time. I'm terrified to turn every corner. Seeing Corsac and Fennec here earlier made me realize that I'm not safe here either. There's nowhere left to run."

Sun shrugged. "Maybe it's time to stop running then. You aren't alone and I can assure that neither me or your bear of a dad are going to let some asshole come anywhere near you. The same goes for your team. Yang already knows exactly what happened and she stood behind you. I know you aren't necessarily as close to Weiss and Ruby, but I know they would fight for you too."

"I run because I don't want people to have to fight for me. Ruby, Weiss." Blake touched her chest, feeling the familiar tightening inside. "If either of them would get hurt trying to protect me, I don't know what I would do. I love them and I don't want them to bear that burden. We may not have been close like Yang and I, but they are like my sisters. I have no doubt they would react exactly like Yang did, but telling Yang was hard enough and I'm closer to her than I've ever been to anyone in my life. I can't imagine forcing Weiss and Ruby into this situation."

Sun felt awful for making her so emotional. It seemed he may have made it worse for the time being. "I'm sorry, Blake, I didn't mean to make you upset."

Blake shook her head. "You didn't. I miss them and I can't help feeling like I had to leave. I have to sort myself out before I involve them in anything further."

"So, why didn't you say goodbye?" As the question left Sun's lips, he felt the sting of his own words. Her leaving without confiding in anyone had hurt everyone involved, including herself. He didn't normally take things so personally, but getting no goodbye before seeing his friend flee had really hurt his feelings.

Blake's eyes slowly raised to meet his gaze. Her golden eyes were rimmed with red, sore tissue from the tears. "I don't know," she confessed. "I was so afraid, I had no idea how to act. I followed my instincts and got out before I lost the opportunity."

Sun smirked. "Thanks for telling me the truth."

She took a deep breath, leaning her head over to rest on his shoulder. The contact comforted her far more than it should have. Sun's natural scent was all around her, embracing her.

Only a few moments passed before Blake fell asleep against his shoulder. Sun smiled and pulled her down gently to lay her flat and he settled in on the opposite side of the massive mattress.


	4. Four

The sun slowly raised into the sky and Blake slowly woke from the most restful slumber she'd managed in a long time. At first, seeing Sun sleeping next to her startled her, but after realizing that none of her clothes were removed, she forced herself to calm down. She knew she fell asleep before Sun even left, so it was more possible that he just fell asleep too.

"Hey," Sun said, breaking her from her panicking trance. Her gaze immediately met his, reminding Sun of a startled animal. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Blake sighed, shaking her head slightly as she sat up. "No, it's fine. Old habits die hard, I guess."

A pounding knock sounded on the bedroom door, followed by Ghira's voice echoing from the other side. "Blake, are you awake?"

Now, panic surged through Sun. The very last thing he wanted was for Ghira to catch him lying next to his daughter in bed. His eyes grew round and he met Blake's gaze, quickly sitting up in bed and looking for a place to hide.

Blake fought back her sudden urge to laugh. "Yes, Dad. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"The guards who were on patrol last night asked me to check on you. They said you were screaming and you sent them away, so they were concerned," the man said loudly, not opening the door, much to Sun's relief.

"It's fine, just a nightmare," she explained, pulling herself out of bed and stretching her stiff muscles. "I'm okay."

"Have you seen Sun?" Kali's voice replaced Ghira's. "His bedroom door is open and he's not in there. We wanted to invite him down for breakfast."

"You wanted to invite him to breakfast," Ghira corrected, disgust lacing his tone.

A shiver shot down Sun's spine again as he jumped from the bed, trying to find any way to escape without detection.

"He's a guest, Ghira, try to be more hospitable."

Sun's gaze met Blake's again, looking for an answer from her. She simply smiled before replying to her parents. "I think I know where he is, I'll talk to him on my way down."

"Wonderful, now let's go, Ghira," Kali pressed, obviously aware of Blake's attempt to hide the monkey Faunus. Sun reminded himself to thank her later.

Blake turned her back to Sun and spoke, hiding her fits of laughter. "You may want to go get dressed before we eat," she said.

Sun sighed in relief, walking slowly and quietly toward the door. As he cracked the door, he realized that Ghira hadn't left the hallway, glaring into Sun's eyes angrily. Sun stood up straight, looking around awkwardly. "Oh, this isn't my room!"

Blake quickly shuffled to where her fuming father graced the hall. "It's fine, Dad," Blake assured him. "He was just comforting me after my nightmare."

Surprisingly, Sun didn't expect her to be completely open with Ghira, even if the truth was better than what the man believed to be taking place. "I know it looks bad," Sun insisted, hoping to administer some damage control. "But, I promise we didn't do anything."

Kali came stomping down the hallway, grabbing her husband by the arm. "Leave them alone, Ghira."

Though it seemed the man still wasn't one Sun's side, his wife's order was followed. He loudly scoffed at Sun before turning to accompany his wife.

Sun turned to Blake, relieved to have gotten away with his tail still attached, and she just shrugged. Kali had always been the boss in the relationship, regardless of her husband's brawn and status, so it really didn't surprise Blake that her mother came to the rescue. "Just be thankful she was here to save you," Blake said, turning to re-enter her room, closing the door behind her so she could change in peace. Taking that as his cue to do the same, Sun rushed back to his room to prepare for an entire meal seated across from Ghira.

Blake met Sun outside of his room, hoping to keep him from being left alone with any member of her family. He may be one of the kindest souls she's ever met, but he could be dumb as a doornail when he gets nervous. He had a very selective silver tongue and struggled knowing when to use it.

They joined her parents at the table, taking their seats quietly as the platters were laid out. The tension was tangible and no one dared to be the one to break the silence. That didn't keep Ghira from glaring holes into Sun's forehead as he ate.

Kali elbowed her husband across the table, attempting to keep it hidden from her daughter and her friend. When he met her gaze, she gestured toward the others. He was a public speaker and it was obvious someone needed to say something before someone snapped from the pressure. Ghira huffed in annoyance before speaking. "So, are you two… dating?"

Another elbow collided with his ribs, letting him know that this was not the right subject to talk about at this moment.

"Dad!" Blake said, crossing her arms over her chest defensively and dropping her gaze.

Sun's face was bright red and he hadn't looked up from his food for fear of what Ghira would do depending on how he responded. He didn't even look at Blake, not wanting to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.

"I think your father is simply pointing out that the two of you seem to be pretty close friends. Don't mind him," Kali said and looked to her husband. "Right, Ghira?"

Ghira made a face before conceding. "That's right."

The remainder of the meal was spent in silence. The group separated into their respective pairs. Blake wanted to take Sun out to see more of Kuo Kuana, so they took their leave for town. He spent hours gawking at the various areas and accommodations for more sensitive Faunus. They finished their tour with a cup of tea on the pier.

"I know it's really shitty to be shoved into this place, but it's a beautiful place to be, you know?" Sun said, still as excitable as ever even with his lackluster morning.

"I suppose you're right. Dad does his best to make sure the people are always taken care of and happy. He'd be very happy to hear your appreciation for his accomplishments," Blake explained, watching as Sun dropped sugar into his now lukewarm tea.

"I'm not sure your dad wants to hear my opinions on anything. I guess I really freaked him out today, huh?"

"It's alright, he knows we weren't doing anything. He just worries about me."

Sun hesitated for a moment, but decided he should ask to ensure he wasn't caught off guard later. "Does he know about Adam and that… you know?"

"No, absolutely not," Blake said, waving her hands in front of her. "I could never tell him about that."

"Of course you could. He's your dad."

Blake shook her head. "I already don't like talking about it and he would blame himself for not forcing me to leave the Fang with them."

Sun cringed. If he was anything like Blake, that was a pretty safe bet. "I guess you're right."

Sitting with both hands around her mostly-empty cup, Blake sheepishly looked away from Sun. "Speaking of my dad," she began, her ears folding slightly and her face shifting several shades closer to red. "What he said at breakfast—"

"Whoa, whoa, you don't have to worry about it, Blake. He's your dad, he's going to be curious when you bring home a boy—"

Blake quickly stood from her chair and leaned over the table, pressing her lips to those of the distracted boy. Sun couldn't manage to return the gesture as the shock froze him. As his mind processed what was happening, his stomach erupted in butterflies. By the time he could actively participate, she'd pulled back slightly, smiling at him softly. "You followed me home," she corrected, settling back into her own seat.

Sun's face flushed and he struggled to figure out how to speak. "What… was that for?"

Blake looked down to her cup, watching as the ripples moved through the liquid. "I never got to properly thank you for caring about me enough to listen, even when I didn't want to talk. Besides, you told me on the ship that it wasn't the right time because you didn't want to take advantage of me."

"Blake," Sun said, reaching out to touch her hand gently. "You don't owe me anything."

She nodded. "I know. I wanted to kiss you."

"You—" he began as his face somehow became more red. "You didn't say anything on the boat."

"I chose not to put you in a situation you may be uncomfortable in. You'd already expressed that you weren't interested in talking about it then, so I let it go."

"I just… wish I'd known," Sun said, looking down at the table.

Blake smiled at him. "Well, now you do."


	5. Five

Chapter Five

"Hold on, Sun. Just, hold on," Blake cooed softly to Sun, praying that he would open his eyes or speak to her. She'd been so mean to him, flying into a rage about privacy. Now, they were sitting on a roof and he was stabbed. She didn't have her scroll and Sun's was laying out in the trees behind her house because of her stunt. It was possible Blake could carry him, but she couldn't guarantee she wouldn't further injure him.

He was hurt because of her, because he wanted to help. She never should have opened up. This was always going to be the end result.

"Blake!" Ghira's voice came from a few allies over, followed by unintelligible murmurs from her mother, probably following close behind.

"Dad! Thank brothers, Dad!" she cried, not daring to take pressure off the wound in Sun's chest. "We're up here, Sun's hurt!"

After just a moment of work, Ghira arrived on the roof with Kali on his back, holding onto his neck. He saw Sun and immediately lifted the injured man to his chest. "Make sure your mother gets home safe. I'll get him home and under the care of the medical staff."

"Thank you," Blake said softly, watching as her father lept from the roof, landing as if he weighed as much as a feather and not as much as an ox. Once they were out of sight, Blake had to recompose herself, having nearly lost her cool. "I'll help you down, Mom, let me just find a safe place for you to climb down."

"Blake," Kali said, her voice low. When Blake met her gaze, her mother's expression was one of worry and sympathy. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine once I'm sure Sun is alright," she said, unwilling to elaborate. Quickly, she found a corner of the building with thick, sturdy pipes zigzagging down the wall. "This should be fine. I'll jump down and then you can just climb down the pipes."

After Kali was safely off the roof of the building, the two walked down the pathway through Kuo Kuana. Blake remained silent and Kali didn't break the silence, thinking it was best if they got home first. Even then, Blake, Kali, and Ghira sat in the living area—staring down into cups of tea and waiting for news on how Sun was doing—silently. Blake had quickly disclosed what had happened and gave her father the scroll, but had fallen nearly catatonic since then.

Ghira was the first to speak. "You did well, you know. It couldn't have been easy facing Ilia again after all this time."

For a moment, Blake said nothing, only spinning her cup in her hands.

Kali hopped in, hoping for any response. Blake was reserved, but this was ridiculous. "I'm sure Sun will be fine. You said he's strong. Of course, if something happened to your father, I'd be a mess. I can't blame you for worrying."

"I'm sorry…" Blake said softly.

Her parents exchanged glances, their concern growing. Kali's feline ears folded as she spoke to her daughter. "What could you possibly be apologizing for, Blake?"

"If I hadn't come back, you wouldn't have to deal with this."

"Nonsense," Ghira said, glaring at the girl. "I wouldn't want you anywhere else if you're in danger."

Blake clenched her jaw tightly, but her thoughts were interrupted when a knock came from the door. She quickly stood, opening the door and coming face-to-face with their chief of medical staff. He entered the room, greeting Blake with a nod. Closing the door, she returned to her seat, hoping he was here to deliver good news.

"He's going to be fine. We ensured no organs were damaged. It seems to be a soft-tissue injury, so he'll just need a week or so to heal," the man explained, looking between the members of the family. "It was smart to bring him in, it could have been much worse."

Her heartbeat settled as she accepted the news. "Good."

"I wouldn't expect him to wake up any more this evening. His injury wasn't severe, but he was in shock."

After a few tips on maintaining Sun's condition, Blake moved to the room he was lying in. Seeing him unconscious on the couch bothered her more than she thought it would. She sat there for what seemed like hours until her mother made an appearance, entering the room quietly.

"Oh, hey, mom."

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting in a chair across from her daughter.

"I'm fine, Mom."

"You don't look fine, Blake," Kali said, sympathy written all over her face. "If it were Ghira, I'd be a mess."

Blake's gaze snapped up to her mother's. "Why do you keep saying that? You keep comparing Sun to Dad."

"Oh, don't play, Blake," Kali said, smiling softly at Blake. "I know you guys are private, but I can see it in you. You care about him far more than you really want to admit." The younger Faunus' ears went flat and her eyes wandered again. "I wish you would tell me what makes you afraid to be open. I know I wasn't always the best listener, but I will always have time for you."

"It's only recent. We haven't even really made it official yet."

"I'm not talking about you hiding things about Sun," her mother said softly. "It's been a long time since we've talked about Adam, but do you think something he did—"

"No." The word came out as a sharp interruption. She didn't want to talk about Adam. In fact, Blake could go the rest of her life never talking about Adam Taurus ever again. "Sun has nothing to do with Adam."

"Blake," Kali said, her tone dropping, and forcing Blake to succumb to childhood conditioning to meet her mother's gaze. She looked stern and worried. "Are you okay?"

Blake bit the inside of her lip to fight back the thought that she knew Kali was trying to portray. Kali knew. After a deep breath, Blake spoke. "I will be. I'm working on it."

That admission seemed to calm Kali's nerves a great deal, as she stood. She walked over and kissed the top of Blake's head softly, directly between her ears. "I'm glad you're safe. I'm going to get some rest, I don't remember the last time I was up this late!"

"Okay, Mom, I love you."

Kali paused for a moment, smiling at the small sentiment. "I love you too."

The older woman left the room, leaving Blake alone with Sun. She stood from the chair she'd been sitting in and resettled on the floor, leaning against the couch with her head resting against Sun's thigh and her hand reached out to hold his. There, she managed to sleep until sunrise.


End file.
